The Tenant
by Celinarose
Summary: Hermione finds her parents. (Or does she?)


'Wilkins'. That's what the name on the plate said. It sounded strange when Hermione said it aloud, standing in front of the wooden door that seemed to hold the key to her future.

She took a deep breath and gathering all of her courage, she knocked. The short time for which she waited in front of the house, seemed much longer. She could hear someone walking towards the door inside, and she closed her eyes for a minute, trying to prepare herself for what would follow.

The door opened to reveal a woman. Hermione gasped inadvertently as she realised how much older her mother looked. _Older, but happier,_ she thought to herself, seeing the cheerful smile on the face of the woman standing opposite her. She was still reeling from how long it had been since she saw her mum last, when the woman spoke.

"G'day, dear! Anything I can help you with?" she asked. Hermione swallowed and nodded before replying.

"Good morning, Mu-Mrs Wilkins. I moved to Australia recently. I was told you were looking for some tenants?" she asked, hesitantly. Her own British accent strongly contrasted with her mother's Australian one. It felt almost odd.

The woman - _Monica Wilkins,_ Hermione reminded herself - smiled widely. "Welcome to Straya! The agent told us you'd be coming, but I'm afraid it slipped my mind completely. But do come in!"

Hermione smiled. Her mother may have lost her memories, but she was still the same woman, always ready to help anyone that asked. She followed into the large house, while quietly trying to remember the exact movements and words she would need to perform the reversal spell. She knew she would have only one shot.

She was led into a comfortable-looking sitting room. "I'll get some biccies. Sit down wherever you like! Hermione, was it?"

Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she smiled graciously. "Yes," she replied softly.

 _Monica_ nodded and headed to what Hermione assumed was the kitchen, while calling out to her husband. "William! The girl who wanted to take a look at the house is here!"

A man's voice called back in reply. "Wasn't she supposed to be around s'arvo?"

The woman laughed. "It's 2 pm, Will. Retirement's made you lazy."

 _Retirement?_ Hermione wondered to herself. _Was her father already retired?_

"Hermione dear, would you like a cuppa?" Monica asked her from the kitchen, even as she heard her father shuffle down towards the sitting room. Something about the way her mother said _Hermione dear_ made her breath catch in her throat. She took a few seconds to compose herself before replying with a 'No, thank you'. She needed both of them to be in the room together to perform the spell, so the sooner Monica returned, the better. She greeted _William_ as he sat down, and he nodded curtly. Hermione broke into a small smile, remembering how he used to be the same back in Britain. Perhaps it hadn't been so long after all.

Soon enough, Monica returned holding a tray with three cups of coffee. Placing it on the table, she sat down. Each of them picked up a cup, and began to sip. Hermione knew she ought to get to work on the spell, but somehow, she found her hands shaking slightly at the thought. An awkward silence settled in the room. It was Monica who broke it.

"Do you like the tea?" she asked, casually. Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding and nodded gratefully.

"Ace, as always, Mon," William told her, placing an arm on her shoulder.

"So," Hermione interjected, surprising even herself with her abruptness. The couple looked up at her. "Have you always lived here?"

"As long as we can remember!"

The cheerful words seemed to cut through Hermione's heart like a knife. Deciding hesitating would only make it worse, she quickly and wandlessly cast the spell to put them in a daze. Then, making sure her first spell had worked correctly, she took out her wand. The lump in her throat and tears in her eyes came back, and this time, she didn't even try to push them away.

She stood like that, wand in her quivering hand, pointed at the frozen man and woman sitting across her. It seemed like an eternity, just standing and staring at their blank, unrecognising faces. Then, she moved her wand as precisely as she could, while chanting the required spell. The sparks shot out from the edge of her wand, landing near their hearts. Once she was done, the two of them, slumped over.

For a minute, Hermione panicked out of instinct, before her rational mind reminded her that this was supposed to happen. They would be unconscious for a few minutes before the spell finished working. So she sat in the nerve-wracking silence of the room. Eventually, they roused themselves, and broke out of the daze.

They stared at her in momentary confusion, before William spoke again. "When do you want to see the house?"

The words broke Hermione's heart. The spell hadn't worked, after all. Years of hard work, all for nought. Of course. She sighed to herself, making sure they would not see her tears.

"Right now," she replied to his question, trying to put on a brave face. She might as well keep up the facade while she could.

About an hour later, they were sitting in the cottage that Hermione had been 'looking to rent', having already explored the whole building.

Monica began, "About the price..." She turned to her husband. Nodding, he named his figure.

Hermione did not reply.

"Is it...to exy for you dear?" Monica offered hesitantly.

 _Was it too expensive?_ Hermione asked herself. _Why was she keeping up the act? Expensive...It wouldn't be, if she took Kingsley up on his offer about being that Australian ambassador..._

"No," she replied, with a sudden resolve. "When can I move in?"

The couple smiled.

 _It was worth it._

* * *

 ** _Notes: For the Golden Snitch's Around the World Competition. Prompt: Write a story based on Hermione Granger finding her parents, by including five Australian slang terms and using them correctly._**

 ** _List:_**

 ** _G'day: Hello_**

 ** _Cuppa: Cup of tea_**

 ** _Ace: Excellent_**

 ** _Exy: Expensive_**

 ** _S'arvo: this afternoon_**

 ** _I used the internet as my source so hopefully these are correct..._**

 ** _Also for the Through the Universe Challenge. Prompt: Australia_**

 ** _For the Doll Event: Prompt: Mr and/or Mrs Granger_**

 ** _For Ollivander's Wand Shop: Write about a Muggleborn_**


End file.
